Virginia Bill to Ban Hand-Held Phone Use While Driving Fails

A bid to tighten Virginia laws around using cellphones while driving will have to wait another year.

Tuesday, February 26th 2019, 8:35 AM EST

Updated:

Tuesday, February 26th 2019, 8:39 AM EST

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A bid to tighten Virginia laws around using cellphones while driving will have to wait another year.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that lawmakers rejected legislation aimed at keeping drivers off their phones died during the final moments of the 2019 legislative session.

Both the House and Senate passed legislation that would have outlawed hand-held phone use while driving but the two chambers couldn't agree on compromise language to get a single bill through both chambers.

Some lawmakers expressed concerns the bill would lead to racial profiling by police.

Advocates for a ban on hand-held phone use while driving said they would try again next year.